Verbena plant named &#39;VEAZ0046&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new  Verbena  plant named ‘VEAZ0046’ particularly distinguished by large sized inflorescences, large sized flowers , that are fluorescent rose, dark green, undivided leaves, and a first semi-upright and later spreading and trailing plant habit.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Verbenahybrida.

Varietal denomination: ‘VEAZ0046’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new Verbena, botanically known asVerbena hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the variety name‘VEAZ0046’.

‘VEAZ0046’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivarhas large sized inflorescences, large sized flowers , that arefluorescent rose, dark green, undivided leaves, and a first semi-uprightand later spreading and trailing plant habit.

‘VEAZ0046’ originated from an open cross made in July 2011in thegreenhouse in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands.

The female parent was an unpatented proprietary plant designated‘N1417-2’, having a flower color that is rose with white eye, mediumsized leaves and an upright plant habit.

The male parent was also an unpatented proprietary plant designated‘N1432-6’having a dark rose flower color, very trailing vigorous planthabit and very small leaves.

The resulting seed was sown in February 2012 in a greenhouse inEnkhuizen, The Netherlands, and ‘VEAZ0046’ was selected as one floweringplant within the progeny of the stated cross in May 2012.

The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘VEAZ0046’ was accomplishedwhen vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection inJune 2012 in a greenhouse in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plantinitiated in the fall of 2012, and continuing thereafter, hasdemonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosedfor ‘VEAZ0046’ are firmly fixed and are retained through successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

‘VEAZ0046’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity, and day length.

A Plant Breeder's Right for this cultivar was applied for in theEuropean Union on Sep. 20, 2016, No. 2016/2290. ‘VEAZ0046’ has not beenmade publicly available prior to the effective filing date of thisapplication, notwithstanding any disclosure that may have been made lessthan one year prior to the effective filing date of this application bythe inventor or another who obtained ‘VEAZ0046’ directly from theinventor.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of the new variety. The combination of thesecharacteristics distinguishes this Verbena as a new and distinctvariety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographic drawings show typical flower and foliagecharacteristics of ‘VEAZ0046’ with colors being as true as possible withan illustration of this type.

The photographic drawing in FIG. 1 shows a close view of aninflorescence of the new plant, and in FIG. 2 a whole flowering plant.The aforementioned photographs were taken in late April 2017 in Andijk,The Netherlands. The plants were about 10 weeks old and were grown in 12cm pots.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart (R.H.S.) 2001.

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW VARIETY ‘VEAZ0046’ AND A MOSTSIMILAR VARIETY ‘VEAZ0046’ ‘Blues Neon’ Earliness: Earlier Later Flowersize: Large Medium Plant vigor: More compact More vigorous

-   Plant:    -   -   Form, growth and habit.—Herbaceous, initially upright, then            outwardly spreading; vigorous and free-branching.        -   Plant height.—15.5 cm.        -   Plant height (inflorescence included).—18.6 cm.        -   Plant width.—38.5 cm.-   Roots:    -   -   Number of days to initiate and produce roots.—9-13 days at            about 22 degrees C.        -   Type.—Fine, fibrous, free branching.        -   Color.—RHS N155A but whiter.-   Foliage:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.        -   Immature, leaf color, upper surface.—RHS 137C.        -   Immature, leaf color, lower surface.—RHS 137C.        -   Mature, leaf color, upper surface.—RHS 137B.        -   Mature, leaf color, lower surface.—RHS 137C.        -   Length.—About 4 cm.        -   Width.—3.2-3.7 cm.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Base shape.—Cordate.        -   Apex shape.—Acute.        -   Margin.—Dentate.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Hirsute.        -   Texture, lower surface.—Hirsute.        -   Color of veins, upper surface.—RHS 137A.        -   Color of veins, lower surface.—RHS 137B.        -   Pattern of veining.—Pinnate.        -   Petiole color.—RHS 137B.        -   Petiole length.—1.2 cm.        -   Petiole width.—0.3 cm.        -   Texture.—Hirsute.-   Stem:    -   -   Branching characteristics.—Makes branches on every node.        -   Quantity of main branches per plant.—About 21.        -   Color of stem.—RHS 137C.        -   Stem length.—About 14 to 17 cm.        -   Stem width.—About 0.4 cm.        -   Length of internodes.—2.2-4 cm.        -   Texture.—Hirsute.        -   Color of peduncle.—RHS 137B.        -   Length of peduncle.—About 2-2.4 cm.        -   Peduncle diameter.—0.2 cm.        -   Texture.—Canescent.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Umbel-like, but actually a spike, umbrella-shaped,            large.        -   Blooming habit.—Flowers continuously through the summer            months.        -   Lastingness of individual blooms on the plant.—About 5 days            in the greenhouse.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Number of inflorescences per plant.—39 to 44 at various            stages.        -   Horizontal diameter of inflorescence.—About 5.8 cm.        -   Depth of inflorescence.—3.2 cm.        -   Number of florets per inflorescence (including any buds at            the time).—28-38.-   Bud (just when opening/showing color):    -   -   Color.—RHS N74B.        -   Length.—0.4 cm.        -   Width.—0.4 cm.        -   Shape.—Tubular with a bulbous end.-   Floret:    -   -   Form.—Sessile; salver-shape, composed of 5 partly fused            petals with a base of a narrow tube.        -   Immature color, upper surface.—RHS N74A.        -   Immature color, lower surface.—RHS N74D.        -   Mature color, upper surface.—RHS N74B.        -   Mature color, lower surface.—RHS N74D.        -   Floret diameter.—2.5 to 2.7 cm.        -   Floret length (depth).—2.2-2.4 cm.        -   Number of petals.—Gamopetalous, 5 lobed.        -   Petal length.—1.3 cm.        -   Petal width.—0.9 cm.        -   Shape.—Obcordate.        -   Apex shape.—Emarginate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Petal texture, upper surface.—Papillose; glabrous.        -   Petal texture, lower surface.—Papillose.        -   Corolla tube length.—1.4 cm.        -   Corolla tube width.—0.2 cm.        -   Corolla tube color inside.—RHS N74D.        -   Tube color outside.—RHS N74B.        -   Corolla texture, inside.—Papillose.        -   Corolla texture, outside.—Glabrous.        -   Throat hair color.—RHS 155C.-   Calyx:    -   -   Type.—Five sepals whose margins are fused to each other            along their length, with a transparent membrane of less than            0.1 cm in width and with one smaller sepal attached to the            base of the calyx.        -   Color of sepals.—RHS 137C.        -   Length of sepals.—1.1 cm.        -   Width of sepals.—0.25 cm.        -   Sepal shape.—Linear, but fused.        -   Apex shape.—Acute.        -   Margins.—Entire.        -   Texture.—Densely covered with short hair.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Gynoecium.—        -   Pistil.—1.        -   Pistil length.—1.4 cm.        -   Style color.—RHS N144D.        -   Style length.—1.5 cm.        -   Stigma color.—RHS 144C.        -   Ovary color.—RHS 144B.        -   Ovary length.—0.24 cm.        -   Ovary width.—0.1 cm.        -   Androecium.—        -   Stamens.—Anthers and filaments fused to upper half of            corolla tube; four anthers with two pollen sacs per anther.        -   Color of filaments.—RHS 151B.        -   Filament length.—0.25 cm.        -   Anther color.—RHS 151B.        -   Anther length.—0.15 cm.        -   Pollen amount.—None observed.-   Fertility/seed set: Neither seed nor fruit production has been    observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Verbena has not been observed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Verbena plant named‘VEAZ0046’ substantially as illustrated and described herein.